There are many ways to hold fish between the time they are caught and the time they are cleaned and prepared for eating.
Studies have shown that the quality of the meat is best preserved when the fish are placed on ice immediately after catching and remain there until they are cleaned and prepared for eating or storage.
The availability of low cost insulated portable coolers has made it convenient to place the fish on ice in the cooler as they are caught, and to transfer the cooler with the fish in it from the boat or shore to a vehicle where the fish can be transported to the location of cleaning without being removed from the cooler.
A problem associated with this method of fish keeping is that when the fish is caught the fisherman often has a fishing rod in one hand, and a fresh caught fish in the other hand. The fisherman at that time does not have a hand free to open the hinged top of the cooler to place the fish inside.